Something To Think About.

[the_great_she_elephant]

Italy mourns after scores of African migrants die in boat sinking off island of Lampedusa

Italy has declared a national day of mourning after a boat packed with African migrants caught fire and sank off the island of Lampedusa, killing at least 130 people. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-04/italy-delcares-national--mourning-migrant-boat-sinking-lampedu...

No pointing of fingers, no suggestion thatf "it was their own fault' or 'they knew the risks' just a coming together in a national outpouring of grief  in a country which has a bigger problem with asylum seekers than we do.

Thank you Italy - you put us to shame.

[freakiness]

In noticed they were in coffins too. Nice classy looking wooden coffins.  Yes, it does put us to shame.

[freakiness]

I also find it interesting that some of those who came to escape other countries in the past are some of the harshest critics of those who flee their homes now.

[freshwater-2]

I can only relate my personal experiences in Italy talking to the people on the street.....not politicians or the media.

I have been a regular visitor to Italy over many years.

Even with the North Africans who sell fake bags after dark in Rome, Florence and Venice, et al, the police leave them alone although they are breaking the law....because they understand the plight of these people. 

[**meep**]

Something to think about - when was the last time Australia had a national day of mourning?

[monman12]

Migrants who arrive in Lampedusa are processed in centers, screened for asylum and often sent back home. Some slip into the general public and make their way to northern Europe, seeking to blend into larger immigrant communities. In Italy, migrants can work legally only if they have a work permit and a contract before they arrive — a policy pushed through by Italy's anti-immigrant Northern League party.

[poddster]

Perhaps it is because they are more in touch with reality, having had first hand experience instead of having to imagine something that that they have had no experience in.

It is interesting to note that the inexperienced in most subjects are the most vocal in subjects that they have no first hand knowledge of. 

[**meep**]

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@monman12 wrote:

Migrants who arrive in Lampedusa are processed in centers, screened for asylum and often sent back home. Some slip into the general public and make their way to northern Europe, seeking to blend into larger immigrant communities. In Italy, migrants can work legally only if they have a work permit and a contract before they arrive — a policy pushed through by Italy's anti-immigrant Northern League party.

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more from an article that contained the above:

Survivors packed Lampedusa’s detention center for migrants, along with those aboard the two other smugglers’ boats, which reached shore safely. More than 1,000 people were squeezed into a space built for 250, Moscarelli said. Medical workers scrambled to treat the injured.

(Australian authorities were criticised for the treatment of the survivors of the Christmas Island tragedy)

[spotweldersfriend]

Arab spring eh?

[freakiness]

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@poddster wrote:

Perhaps it is because they are more in touch with reality, having had first hand experience instead of having to imagine something that that they have had no experience in.

It is interesting to note that the inexperienced in most subjects are the most vocal in subjects that they have no first hand knowledge of. 

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No, it doesn't indicate they're more in touch with reality. There are many others who sought refuge that are very understanding of those who seek asylum now.

Who are you judging to be most vocal of subjects they have no experience with? That is just a nonsensical statement.

[**meep**]

Imagine  a refugee or a son or daughter of a refugee ever thinking of becoming a politician and being in charge of making harsh decisions about the number of refugees this country can accept.....

oh, wait.....